Taking Control
Rhi Reynolds
Throughout our lives, I’m sure we have all had to face situations where we’ve had to take control. The circumstances don’t necessarily have to be negative, but an obstacle nonetheless. Small hurdles present us with two ways to a solution: allowing whatever it is to overcome you, or you taking control of the obstacle. Whichever way you choose, it will still test your moral character.
I was faced with a challenging situation one day this week that was work related (I will explain how I can apply it to my training later). I had an appointment with a woman for a personal training session at work. I already knew this woman was going to be extremely difficult just from the previous meeting I had with her. That was my first mistake, and one that I’m guilty of committing over and over again: anticipating a negative outcome. Anyway, I greeted her and started explaining what we would be doing for her workout, since she had a few orthopedic issues and that happens to be my specialty. It would have been great if she would have ever let me finish a sentence. Every time I tried to explain the rationale for whatever corrective exercise we were starting with, she would cut me off and insist that I was wasting her time. I shrugged it off in the beginning, because I knew what I was doing with her what was best for her. But it got to the point where she stopped in the middle of her exercise, crossed her arms, and said, “This is stupid. I don’t know why we have to do this.”
I’ve never dealt with anyone with an attitude like this before, and she pushed me to my limit. These are the times that test your character. I snapped, “Why are you giving me such a hard time? I’m here to help you and there is a reason why we are doing everything and in this order.”
I proceeded to then have a chat with her in one of our assessment offices. I let her speak first, and she just reiterated that she thought doing a warm-up is a waste of time and she didn’t understand why we were doing it. I realized I had to take control of this situation right away. I was firm with her, but also patient. I informed her the reason she didn’t understand is that she kept cutting me off mid explanation. I also had to assure her that I was the fitness professional, and we were doing a workout that I felt was the most beneficial for someone with her conditions. After she agreed to resume the workout, I saw a huge change. She listened to me, and I even got her to crack a smile a few times. Although the rest of the session ran smoothly, I would never want to go through that with someone again. Unfortunately, I know that’s impossible. But the great thing about this happening… is that it happened. How will I know how to deal with another difficult person like this if I haven’t experienced it already? Now, I’m actually relieved that it happened so I can apply it when the time comes. The funny thing is, this is applicable right now…
I feel like that woman is comparable to the bar. I can approach it with perfect confidence, but then something happens that makes me start to question my abilities. It makes me question my strength, speed, and technique, just as that woman made me question my demeanor and knowledge. I look at the bar and think, “How can I be afraid of this? I lift this thing every day.”
But then again, how could I be intimidated by a person that lacks the knowledge and skills I have? A person who came to me for help? That’s why I took affirmative action right away. I took control of the situation instead of letting it control me. And now I put it aside, and am ready for the next challenge. This week of training has increased in volume, so I took control of it. Every time I walked up to the bar this week, I practiced silencing the noise. I took control of the bar and didn’t let its shiny steel luster blind me. I had the best lifts this week that I’ve had in a long time. Everything felt consistent…everything. So, back to reality! I know it’s not going to be rainbows and butterflies until the American Open. I’m bound to have a bad day, or week. I’ll miss lifts and get mad. I’ll still question myself. But what I’m learning is that you can still take control. You can take control the instant internal or external noise starts threatening you. You may start off having a bad day or bad experience, but you can still turn it around. You have to be relentless. You have to be persistent. I need to get comfortable being uncomfortable. I know as soon as I step onto the American Open platform, with everyone watching, the noise will be as loud as ever. That’s why I have to practice now. And so far, it’s going great.
Some training video’s from this week!